Tennessee Lawmaker: Print 'Alien' on Non-CItizens' Driver's Licenses

NASHVILLE, TN — State Rep. John Ragan, Republican of Oak Ridge, wants Tennessee's state-issued IDs, including driver's licenses, to indicate the immigration status of non-citizens.

Ragan filed a bill Tuesday which requires the Department of Safety to print "NON U.S. CITIZEN" or "ALIEN" on temporary licenses, permits or IDs issued to anyone who is not a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States. People in the United States legally are allowed under state law to receive temporary licenses upon presentation of the proper paperwork and after passing a driving test.

Ragan's proposal would also fix the expiration date of such licenses to expiration date of the person's visa, though the Department of Safety says this is already the practice.

The bill is sponsored in the Senate by Ed Jackson, Republican of Jackson.

Ragan told The Tennessean his bill is a level of protection against terrorism.

"The 19 hijackers from 9/11 were here on overstayed visas, so this is just intended to be another way of ensuring that we catch that if we can," he told the newspaper. "You never put just one barrier out there to stop an enemy, you put as many as you can. This is just an additional check out there. It's not intended to be anything onerous but it is intended to be a little more obvious."

A Department of Safety spokesperson told The Tennessean that permanent and temporary licenses have totally different appearances and it's "easy" to tell the difference now.

Among the criticisms of the bill is that it might be off-putting to the numerous foreign businesses which have major facilities in Tennessee.

Image via State of Tennessee